10 Books for Fans of We Were Liars
by Dena McMurdie
Once you’ve read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, you’ll be dying (pun intended) to get your hands on some similar titles. Books with sunny islands and big secrets or mysteries with plot twists that leave you reeling. The more unreliable the narrator, the better. And let’s not forget the dark undercurrents and sinister hints throughout the story. You want books that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning and will stay with you for weeks after you’ve turned the last page.
Here are ten spellbinding stories that are perfect for fans of the unsettling deliciousness found in We Were Liars.
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Family of Liars
Available from:If you love We Were Liars, you need to read the equally mind-bending prequel. Find out how it all began twenty-seven years earlier with the previous generation of Sinclairs. Forbidden romance and secrets collide on the same remote island, with shocking results.
Fans of the series will be excited to hear about a third book, We Fell Apart, coming November 2025.
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Little Monsters
Available from:A compelling and eerie mystery you'll relish if you loved the sinister undertones of We Were Liars. This suspenseful thriller shines a light on the dark corners of teenage secrets, obsession, and family.
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Secrets So Deep
Available from:Avril has only hazy memories of the night her mother died in a coastal Connecticut town named Whisper Cove. Avril returns to the town, searching for answers, but finds ghosts and unsettling memories instead. Twisty, paranormal, and atmospheric, this spooky novel has enough surprises to keep you guessing.
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The Champions
Available from:Return to Sunnybrook for a new twisty thriller with this companion novel to The Cheerleaders. When new girl Hadley covers the football team for the school paper, she gets pulled into a grisly murder investigation. As bodies and threats pile up, Hadley races to find the killer before they strike again.
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The Dark Place
Available from:Mystery, romance, and supernatural abilities combine in this heart-stopping novel about a girl who accidentally time-travels to the night of her brother’s murder. When it happens a second time, Hylee teams up with a handsome boy named Eilam to investigate both her abilities and the terrible night her brother died.
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Liar’s Beach
Available from:When Linden gets invited to spend the summer at his friend’s mansion in Martha’s Vineyard, he tries to hide his not-so-posh background. A group of friends, a terrible accident, and a heaping pile of lies lead Linden to call his friend Holiday Proctor to help him track down a potential killer. This YA retelling of Agatha Christie’s novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, will keep you reading well past midnight!
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The Color of a Lie
Available from:When a tragedy forces Calvin’s family to move to a white suburban town, he does his best to fit in. Although he can pass for white, Calvin finds it increasingly difficult to live a lie. As Calvin unearths dark secrets behind the glossy town, he discovers that his double life could have deadly consequences.
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Everything We Never Said
Available from:Dark romance and plot twists make this novel a must-read for E. Lockhart fans. After her best friend Hayley dies, Ella falls in love with Hayley’s boyfriend, Sawyer. She searches Hayley’s journal for comfort and discovers unsettling secrets about their relationship. This romantic roller coaster of a novel will keep YA readers glued to the page!
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The Secret Year
Available from:A year-long secret romance ends when Julia gets killed in a car accident. Left reeling, Colt manages to get ahold of Julia’s diary. But as he reads through the entries, he starts to wonder if he ever truly knew his girlfriend. Secrets, betrayal, and silent grief make this novel a good read-alike for fans of We Were Liars.
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Who We Were in the Dark
Available from:Nora and her three best friends, Grace, Wesley, and Rand, spend every minute together at Donner Lake. But when Grace vanishes, Nora must confront the secrets and betrayals their friend group suffered over the years. With Wesley and Rand, Nora tries to figure out what happened to Grace. But the more they search for answers, the more questions they uncover.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025.